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Subject: Samuel Whitbread Academy E-Newsletter Issue 71 (10/11/17)

Last week we had a visit from Ofsted, where five inspectors
spent two days looking at everything from lessons and leadership to behaviour
and exam results. They spoke to students at break and lunch, as well as
observing a wide range of lessons. They also interviewed students, governors and school
leaders. The outcome is confidential at this stage, until the final
report is published. I was incredibly proud with how the students conducted themselves and how they spoke with pride about their school. We will publish the full
report as soon as it is finalised by Ofsted, which normally takes around four
weeks.

The rehearsals for the school panto and the school concert
are well under way and they look like they are going to be two spectacular events. There are very few tickets left, so please
purchase your tickets soon to avoid any disappointment.

Today we had our two minute silence for Remembrance Day,
which we finished with two Year 11 students
playing ‘the last post’ on the trumpet – both were impeccable (see footage here).
On Sunday we also have members of the Head Boy/Girl team presenting wreaths and
reading poems in various local villages.

In sport, we have had a mammoth number of fixtures this week – 17 in
total – and at the time of writing, have won all but one. Highlights include a
netball victory over Sharnbrook and the U15 and U18 boys football teams
both qualifying for the fourth round of the National Cup.

Last week saw the first Year 9 progress reports come
out. It was a very positive set of data from the year group as a whole, keep up
the great effort and attitude. Don’t forget Meet the Tutor is happening
next week (Tuesday 14th November) alongside the GCSE options
evening. Parents/carers who haven’t booked appointments still have time.

Miss E Wisson

Year 10

Having just received their most recent predictions in all
their subjects, Year 10 students are reflecting on their own learning and
giving themselves targets on what they need to do to improve. We encourage the
students to ask their teachers how they can push and extend themselves and to
take responsibility for their own learning. A great start to the new half term.

Miss C Hood & Mr R Candlin

Year 11

There are some have some very important dates coming up for
Year 11 students and parents. Students will receive their reports today
and will bring them home. Please follow up with their tutors if they do not
make it to you. On 21st November we have the meet the tutor
progress review evening. This is the most important parents evening so far and
will give you a chance to discuss the recent report and your child’s
progress. This is happening alongside the Sixth Form Open Evening and
careers fair, where students and parents have the opportunity to explore
options after Year 11.

On 27th November the next round of mock GCSE
examinations will start. Please support your children by encouraging
independent learning and revision at home. I look forward to seeing you
all on the 21st.

Mr R Sinclair

Bedfordshire Police

Bedfordshire Police have contacted Samuel Whitbread and the
local middle schools to offer us the opportunity to set up and develop some
community links and parent drop in sessions. The Police would like to hear
views from the SWA students on how policing could be improved in the local area
and they will be walking around the School site at lunchtimes to gather the
views of young people. The police will also have a base in student services
should students wish to talk to them in a more confidential setting.

The parental drop in sessions will be after school and I
will forward the dates to you when they have been agreed with the relevant
parties. I am sure you will agree that this is a positive and important
relationship to establish. SWA is keen to develop and reinforce these links
within our community and as parents, I hope you will fully support these new
projects and relationship as a whole.

Mr M Gibbs

Careers

Annual Careers Convention

Samuel Whitbread Careers Convention is being held on Tuesday 21st November. All students/parents are welcome to attend. We have exhibitors from local/national companies, colleges, universities, training providers, support groups in attendance – a full list will be issued early November.If you work within an organisation that would like to exhibit please contact Debbie Hill: dhill@bestacademies.org.uk for more information.

Christmas Concert

Remembrance Poetry Competition

Below are the results of the school's Remembrance poetry competition. The winning poem, "The Day of the Poppies" by Annabel Tobias, will be read at the Shefford Remembrance Service on Sunday.

1st – Annabelle Tobias – 10K

2nd – Jordan Tatlock – 12H

3rd – Oscar Francis-West – 10L

4th – George Sale – 10A

5th – Sam Bennet and Jack Huckle – 10K

Art & DT

Last year's Year 11 students who studied Art or DT subjects are now able to collect any final exam pieces or prep work from the respective offices.

SWA Admissions Policy changes

In accordance with the statutory requirements set out
in the School Admissions Code, we are required to undertake a six week
consultation on any proposed changes to our admissions policy. The proposed
changes, together with a brief summary, are detailed on our website under
Parents > Consultation (click here for the link). Please let us know if you have any questions or
concerns using the email address in the link.

Performing Arts

With just one week left before the family discount runs
out, you will not want to miss the opportunity to see the BEST Panto! Students across BEST have been working
extremely hard and it is going to be a fantastic evening, suitable for all.
With audience participation and lots of surprises, this traditional family
panto will absolutely get you in the festive spirit. Over 70% of tickets are
sold so act fast to avoid disappointment.

Orchestra

Part of our orchestra met for the first time this week to
rehearse songs for the Pantomime. After one hour they are already making a
fantastic sound and we are excited about what is to come!

The Artist of Month is Belle Coleman 13K. This painting is a work in progress. Belle is using oil paints on plastic sheeting. We are excited to see the finished portrait.

Netball

U16s

Over the last week the U16s competed in the Bedfordshire
County Schools Cup. They showed great perseverance throughout the day and came
away with some superb wins, it really was a standout team performance where all
girls proved their netballing skills. The girls finished an impressive third in
the county only narrowly missing out to Bedford Modern by two goals.

U14s

This week saw the U14A girls compete in their last games of
the league, and when playing Sharnbrook SWA showed excellent defence down the
court and with vital turnovers from Skye Oswick the girls won 11-7. Against St
Thomas More, Lydia Knight and Ashton Smith showed their ability in the circle
to come away with another, even bigger win, 14-3.

The U14B netballers also had a 100% record this week, Lauren
Appleby stealing some fantastic turnovers against Stratton to win 7-3. Playing
Bedford Academy, the girls got on court with great spirit and showed their team
ability in winning 11-6.

The U14 County Tournament is 21st November:
Girls, keep up the numbers to training and prove your place.

Basketball

The Year 9 Boys were excellent in their first game together
at Samuel Whitbread. They started quickly and went out to a 12-0 lead at the
end of the first quarter. The boys played some very good basketball as they set
up their defence quickly and set up some excellent counter attacks through
Callum Holmes as they moved the ball around the D with speed. Luke Revels
regularly found space to score plenty of baskets. Their
performance continued to improve as they went out to a 39-2 lead by the end of
the third quarter. They finished 49-8 winners, playing some excellent basketball,
but also realising there is more to come from them as they look to build a
successful league campaign.

Football

U18 boys

In the Colleges & Elite Schools National Cup (a first
ever entry for SWA), the boys snaffled a superb 2-0 win over Cedars Upper.
Wonder goals from Sam King and Charlie Scott sealed the victory against a very
strong footballing school. The boys stuck to the counter-attacking game plan
and it paid off as this team continues to impress and progress on the national
stage. In the wider National Schools Cup SWA accomplished a gritty 1-0 win over
Sir John Henry Newman School. The boys battled well but in truth it wasn’t
their best performance of the season. The boys got through the game by grafting
and working hard in the second half and eventually progressing through a
well-worked Colm Slingsby goal.

U15 girls

SWA U15 football girls had a
superb 9-0 win against Biddenham in the League thanks to goals from Sophie
Bolton (3) Tascha Stokes-Collis (3) Jasmine King, Georgina Yates and Abbie
Bradshaw

Hockey

SWA Year 9 girls hockey team travelled to Goldington this week
for their first ever match together. The girls were nervous and excited but
really looking forward to the challenge. We started off really confidently and
had the advantage with some fab runs from Corin and Kizzy alongside excellent
defence from Lucy, Evie and Eswen. Goldington then settled into their game and
showed their experience with dynamic plays and attacking runs. Grace played out
of her socks and made at least 20 saves producing an outstanding display in
goal. Priya scored an amazing goal with precision finishing. SWA played very
well and improved our play throughout and I’m really proud of these girls who
worked their socks off and enjoyed themselves. Well done ladies.

Miles Elliot in Year 9 recently completed one of the UK's toughest marathons - the Beachy Head Marathon in and around Eastbourne. Miles was remarkably the youngest runner in a field of 3000 competitors. Well done, Miles, a truly fantastic achievement.

Rugby

Year 9

This year there has been an incredible amount of talented
rugby boys join the school, so much so we have now had five ‘B team’ Year 9
fixtures and have more to come. Last week the team travelled to Lincroft School
to play a talented side. After having a lot of possession it was energetic
scrum half Toby Standbridge that scored the first try converted well by Tyler
Waldock and a second try from Brandon Kilsby ensured we had a good lead of 14-7
at half time. Sadly Lincroft changed their game plan and after a very strong
finish SWA left it too late and ended up on the wrong side of 21-14. What
excites me most about these boys is their passion and want to improve. Really
looking forward to the return match against Sandy coming up!

Rugby 10s tournament

On Tuesday SWA hosted the Year 9 10-a-side tournament. With
the strong numbers in Year 9 we were able to put out 3 squads of 14 players and
after mixing the teams around it set the tournament up for exciting games
between the SWA teams and external schools that entered. Each team had a 6th
former coaching who led by example. Morgan Dayes, Harry Charter and Charlie
Garwood were great ambassadors for the PE department alongside referees Jake
Dodd and Mitchell Brown. Sadly for Morgan and Harry it was Charlie’s ‘South
Africa’ team that came out on top, beating Harry’s ‘Australia’ in the final
26-24. A great day had by all that took part and SWA were pleased to end up
with 1st, 2nd and 5th place finishes.

1st XV

On Wednesday our 1st XV rugby team played in the
last 32 of the Natwest Bowl national competition against Easton and Otley
College, winning 43-10. The college run a rugby course similar to ours
and so this was our biggest test yet in the competition. The boys’ strength and
physicality really showed and with some hard carries and big tackles flying in
from the first whistle, we were able to get the ball in a good attacking
position and muscle our way over the try line for an early score. Changes
were made at half time and although a couple of missed tackles led to us
conceding two tries, our physicality and great offloading game meant that we
were able to continue scoring tries throughout the game and increase our lead
further. On the bus journey home it was great to see how much the group
have bonded with MVP Jonah Charnock leading the team sing song!

Girls Representative Rugby

Well done to the five SWA girls who represented Hertfordshire against Kent in a recent county rugby game - Abby Lawrence, Chloe Benjamin, Cailin Prior, Jessamine Game and Scarlett Whybrow.

RBA

The Year 5s this week had a lovely morning at
the Shree Sanatan Mandir, a Hindu Temple in Luton. They were incredibly
well-behaved and learned lots to help them back in their RE lessons.

The
Year 6s visited the Black Country Museum in Dudley, experiencing life in the
times of the Industrial Revolution.

Show my Homework

We an online system for setting homework. The site is called 'Show My Homework' and can be accessed here. All pupils have been given a username and password for parents and carers, so you can monitor the work being set and the quality of the homework being completed by your children. Please follow the link if you wish to know more about the website and the functions it has to offer parents and carers.

Is your Child using theirentitlement to Free School Meals?

If your child is already receiving Free School Meals please remind them that they are entitled to £2.20 per day. It is advised that they use this amount at lunch time when they will get the best deal for their money. If the amount is not used it is not carried over to the next day, it will be removed and £2.20 will be credited to the account on a daily basis.

If there are any problems using the Biometric Finger Print System please speak to one of kitchen staff either behind the counter or in the office. If your child feels uncomfortable approaching the kitchen staff then please go to the year team pastoral officer.

Please be aware that the process for using the biometric finger print is exactly the same for children using free school meals or paying for school meals.

School Closure Arrangements due to Severe WeatherPlease find information below from Central Bedfordshire Council for parents/carers to register to receive school closure alerts:In order to receive an e-mail alert via the Central Bedfordshire Schools’ Open Status (SOS) system, you will need to register: • Click here• Click on 'register for updates' and fill in the text boxes • Click on 'submit' You will then receive an email which contains instructions on how to 'activate' your account which will include a 'one off' activation code. • Click here• Go to 'Log in to edit your details' and type in your email address and the activation code. • The next time you want to edit your details (e.g. change the names of schools you wish to receive alerts for) type in your email address and password. Please do not try to ring radio stations to find out if schools will be closed. Telephone lines will be busy and this may prevent a vital call reaching the News Centre. Please listen to the radio or access the website for confirmation. If you have an existing account but have lost your login details please send an e-mail to sos@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk to have your details refreshed. For further information, please click here (APPENDIX C S)

Free School Meals - Are you Entitled?

If
you would like to find out if you are entitled for your child to
receive Free School Meals please contact Customer Services at Central
Bedfordshire on 0300 300 8306. Please have the following information
ready: national insurance numbers and dates of birth for you and your
partner, dates of birth for your children, and if you receive support
from the National Asylum Support Service, your NASS number. You may
qualify if your child attends a school full time in the Central
Bedfordshire area, and you get any of the following: Income Support,
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, The Guarantee element of State
Pension Credit, Support from the National Asylum Support Service, Child
Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and you have an annual income
that does not exceed £16,190.

If
you do not live in Central Bedfordshire area but your child attends a
school in Central Bedfordshire full time, then you should apply to
Central Bedfordshire Council, on 0300 300 8306. You will be informed if
you are entitled to free school meals when you telephone, any problems
verifying the entitlement will be discussed during the call. Please be
advised that you can only apply for Free School Meals through Central
Bedfordshire, Samuel Whitbread cannot process the application.

Young Carers

Our website now has links to organisations that offer advice and support for all the family along with young carers chat forums . Also you will find application forms for grants along with guidelines to help in making it easier to access any financial support you may need.

SEND Information Sessions

Free drop in information sessions are available for parents/carers with children with SEND. Click here to read more information.

Service Families

Samuel Whitbread is committed to supporting our service families. If you think you are going to be posted please contact Thomas Rowell (trowell@bestacademies.org.uk) so that he can help your child's transition go as smoothly as possible. We understand your circumstances might change again and that's OK. Kelly Furphy kfurphy@bestacademies.org.uk will also assist in any transition procedure and documentation needed.

Drop in Sessions

Drop in sessions with the school nurse are available every Thursday breaktime in room 403. If students have any issues ranging from diet to bullying they can book an appointment with the nurse by visiting Mrs Ward in the First Aid room.

Pupil Premium

You may have received an email from us recently about the Pupil Premium funding that we have available to support some of our students. There is an application form on our website that you can use to request any support from the school - click here to see. All application forms or any requests for further information should be sent to trowell@bestacademies.org.uk

Adopted ChildrenIf your child is adopted from care, under a special guardianship order or a residency order, we can claim extra funding from the government to support them in their progress at school. The funding is part of the Pupil Premium Grant and we can use it for all sorts of support from 1:1 tutoring to help with equipment, revision guides and trips.

Samuel Whitbread Academy has changed bank accounts. Could you please advise parents that all future cheque payments for school trips should be made payable to: Samuel Whitbread Academy – School Fund.

Signing In/Out

Following the
installation of gates, students will only be able to enter and leave the school
via reception. If your child needs to sign out during the school day, please
make a note in their planner. This will enable them to leave their lesson
if necessary and sign out at reception ready to be collected.

All parents need to sign in at reception whenever they visit the site.

HolidaysWe would like to
remind Parents and Carers of the regulations regarding holidays and would like
to make you aware that Best Term dates may differ from the term dates published
on the Central Bedfordshire website. Please see our website https://www.samuelwhitbread.org.uk/notices/

The Education
(Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 and Central Bedfordshire advise
that unless special circumstances* are identified then term time holidays
should not be authorised.

Absence Request Forms can be collected from the Attendance Office (Room 337).

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to
contact Mrs A Martin – 01462 628041 or

This is an online snapshot of a newsletter created by the owner of parentcarer (Samuel Whitbread Academy, Samuel Whitbread Academy, Shefford Road, SG17 5QS Clifton, United Kingdom) and sent via GetResponse on 2017-11-10. Report abuse